'Gravity Falls' First Look: Jason Ritter Gets Animated in New Disney Channel Series (Video)

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Jason Ritter is heading to the world of animation.

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In Disney Channel's new series Gravity Falls, the Parenthood and The Event veteran voices the main character, Dipper Pines, a city kid who spends a summer – with his twin sister Mabel (Kristen Schaal) – with their Great Uncle Stan who runs a place called The Mystery Shack in a remote (and mysterious) town.

For Ritter, jumping from live-action to animated work relied on the actual story itself. "There's a science fiction element blended in there, I think it's really funny," he says in the sneak peek of the series below.

It's a far cry from the 12-hour days that make up a one-hour drama. "You get to see months later the full imagination of all the people working on the show," Ritter says, adding that you can finish recording voice work for an entire episode in a day.

Series creator Alex Hirsch revealed how the idea for Gravity Falls came out: a composite of everything he wished would happen during summer camp.

Linda Cardellini and Hirsch co-star in the series, which will feature guest stars including Jennifer Coolidge, Will Forte, Alfred Molina, Lance Bass, Coolio and Larry King.

Gravity Falls premieres Friday at 9 p.m. on Disney Channel.